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Joan Bennett Kennedy, the former wife of the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, died Wednesday morning in her sleep at her home in Boston, according to her family . She was 89 years old.

Her tumultuous marriage to Kennedy, which ended in 1982, made her an international celebrity. Her life post-divorce as a music scholar and performer and advocate on issues of addiction and mental health cemented her status as an important figure in American life.

She was open and eloquent about her battles with alcoholism and depression in an era when celebrity confessionals were rare, and clearly inspired the impactful post-politics career of her son Patrick, one of the nation's pre

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